Buffering Platform Unit of a Treadmill

ABSTRACT

An elastic platform is provided a treadmill. The elastic platform includes a frame and a piece of fabric. The frame is connected to the treadmill. The piece of fabric is supported on the frame. The piece of fabric supports a section of a belt wound around two rollers of the treadmill.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a buffering platform unit of a treadmill.

2. Related Prior Art

A treadmill includes a belt in the form of a loop wound around two parallel rollers. A section of the belt is supported on a platform or more rollers located between the rollers. A runner exerts horizontal forces and vertical forces on the treadmill while running the treadmill. The horizontal forces cause the belt to spin. The vertical forces are supposed to be absorbed with the platform or the rollers. However, the effect of the absorption of the vertical forces with the platform is inadequate since the platform and the rollers are made of metal. Some of the vertical forces are bounced back to the runner's feet. Thus, the runner's feet are not well protected. On the other hand, the treadmill is vulnerable to damages caused by the vertical forces.

To overcome the foregoing problem, there have been many attempts to provide a buffer apparatus beneath the platform as disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Publication Nos. 390207, 507582 and 576227 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,144 and 5,441,468 for example. The buffer apparatus is supposed to absorb the vertical forces. The buffer apparatus includes several soft pads located beneath the platform. The effects of buffer provided with the soft pads are however inadequate.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a treadmill with an elastic platform.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the elastic platform includes a frame and a piece of fabric. The frame is connected to the treadmill. The piece of fabric is supported on the frame. The piece of fabric supports a section of a belt wound around two rollers of the treadmill.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of two embodiments referring to the drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill equipped with a buffering platform unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the buffering platform unit shown in

FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an elastic platform of the buffering platform unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial, side view of the elastic platform shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial, side view of the elastic platform in another position than shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the elastic platform shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the elastic platform in another position than shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the elastic platform shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a buffering platform unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an elastic platform of the buffering platform unit shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the elastic platform shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a front view of the elastic platform in another position than shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a treadmill 100 includes two feet 10, two posts 11 supported on the feet 10, two handles 12 supported on the posts 11, a control panel 13 supported on the handles 12 and a buffering platform unit 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The buffering platform unit 20 is connected to the feet 10 or the posts 11.

Referring to FIG. 2, the buffering platform unit 20 includes two lateral beams 21, two rollers 22 located between the lateral beams 21, a belt 23 wound around the rollers 22 and an elastic platform 30. The elastic platform 30 is located within and supported on a rectangular structure consisting of the lateral beams 21 and the rollers 22. Moreover, the elastic platform 30 is located beneath a section of the belt 23.

Referring to FIG. 3, the elastic platform 30 includes a piece of elastic fabric 31 supported on a frame 40. The piece of elastic fabric 31 includes two extended portions 32 and two extended portions 34 extending from a substantially rectangular middle portion.

The frame 40 includes two longitudinal beams 41, two transverse beams 42 and a reinforcing beam 43. All of the beams 41, 42 and 43 are tubes. The transverse beams 42 and the reinforcing beam 43 are located between the longitudinal beams 41.

Each of the extensive portions 32 of the piece of elastic fabric 31 is wound around a related one of the longitudinal beams 41. Each of the extensive portions 34 of the piece of elastic fabric 31 is wound around a related one of the transverse beams 42. The extensive portions 34 of the piece of elastic fabric 31 are securely connected to the beams 41 and 42.

By operating two adjusting sets 50 each located in a related one of the longitudinal beams 41, the distance between the transverse beams 42 is adjustable as shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, by operating two adjusting sets 50′ each located in a related one of the transverse beams 42, and/or by operating an adjusting set 50″ located in the reinforcing beam 43, the distance between the longitudinal beams 41 is adjustable. Therefore, tension in the piece of elastic fabric 31 is adjustable. Furthermore, one of the transverse beams 42 will be referred to as the “front transverse beam 42” while the other transverse beam 42 will be referred to as the “rear transverse beam 42” within the following description for clarity. A track 44 is securely attached to each of the longitudinal beams 41. The track 44 includes a U-shaped form.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, each of the adjusting sets 50 includes a socket 56, a nut 51′ and a threaded bolt 52′. The socket 56 is securely located in the rear transverse beam 42. The nut 51′ is located in a related one of the longitudinal beams 41. The nut 51′ is movable longitudinally but not transversely in the related longitudinal beam 41. The nut 51′ is not rotational in the related longitudinal beam 41. The threaded bolt 52′ includes a head located outside the frame 40, a threaded body engaged with the nut 51′, and a tip rotationally inserted in the socket 56.

Similarly, each of the adjusting sets 50″ includes a socket, a nut and a threaded bolt. The socket is securely located in the reinforcing beam 43. The nut is securely connected to a related one of the tracks 44. The threaded bolt includes a head located outside the frame 40, a middle section engaged with the nut and a tip rotationally inserted in the socket.

By rotating the threaded bolts relative to the nuts of the adjusting sets 50′ and 50″, the distance between the longitudinal beams 41 is adjustable. Therefore, the tension in the piece of elastic fabric 31 is adjustable.

Each of the longitudinal beams 41 includes two opposite slots 53 since it is a tube, not a solid rod. The threaded bolts 52′ are inserted through the slots 53.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the adjusting sets 50 includes a threaded lining 51, a threaded bolt 52 and a cap 54. The threaded lining 51 is like any proper nuts except that it is made with a large length. The threaded lining 51 is movably but not rotationally located in a related one of the longitudinal beams 41 and securely connected to a related one of the nuts 51′. The cap 54 is securely connected to a rear end of a related one of the longitudinal beams 41. The threaded bolts 52 includes a head located outside related longitudinal beam 41 and abutted against the cap 54 and a threaded body engaged with the threaded lining 51.

By rotating the threaded bolts 52 relative to the threaded linings 51, the threaded linings 51 are moved in the longitudinal beams 41, and so are the nuts 51′. The threaded bolts 52′ are moved in and along the slots 53. Hence, the rear transverse beam 42 is moved relative to the front transverse beam 42. Hence, the tension in the piece of elastic fabric 31 is adjusted.

Referring to FIGS. 9 through 12, there is shown a buffering platform unit 20 according to a second embodiment. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except including an elastic platform 60 instead of the elastic platform 30. The elastic platform 60 includes a piece of elastic fabric 61, a frame 70 for supporting the piece of elastic fabric 61, and two covers 80 for protectively covering portions of the piece of elastic fabric 61 and the frame 70.

The piece of elastic fabric 61 includes two edges rolled into loops. A rod 62 is inserted through each of the loops. Thus, the piece of elastic fabric 61 can be extended evenly.

The frame 70 includes two longitudinal beams 71 and three transverse beams 72. One of the longitudinal beams 71 will be referred to as the “stationary longitudinal beam 71” while the other longitudinal beam 71 will be called the “movable longitudinal beam 71” within the follow description for clarity. Each of the transverse beams 72 includes two bent ends. One of the bent ends is securely connected to the stationary longitudinal beam 71.

There are adjusting sets 90 operable to change the distance between the longitudinal beams 71 to adjust tension in the piece of elastic fabric 61. Each of the adjusting sets 90 includes a socket 91, a nut 92 and a threaded bolt 93. The socket 91 is securely connected to the other bent end of a related one of the transverse beams 72. The nut 92 is securely located in the movable longitudinal beam 71. The threaded bolt 93 includes a head located outside the movable longitudinal beam 71, a threaded body engaged with the nut 92, and a tip rotationally located within and abutted against the socket 91.

The piece of elastic fabric 61 is connected to the longitudinal beams 71 with several screws inserted through washers 94. Each of the washers 94 includes a head located outside the piece of elastic fabric 61 and a body inserted into the longitudinal beams 71 through the piece of elastic fabric 61.

Each of the covers 80 includes a groove 81 and recesses 82. The groove 81 receives a related one of the longitudinal beams 71. Each of the recesses 82 receives the head of a related one of the threaded bolts 93.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims. 

1. An elastic platform for use in a treadmill, the elastic platform comprising: a frame connected to the treadmill; and a piece of fabric supported on the frame, wherein the piece of fabric supports a section of a belt wound around two rollers of the treadmill.
 2. The elastic platform according to claim 1, wherein the piece of fabric is a piece of elastic fabric.
 3. The elastic platform according to claim 2, wherein the frame includes two longitudinal beams and two transverse beams extending between the longitudinal beams.
 4. The elastic platform according to claim 3, wherein the frame includes a reinforcing beam extending between the longitudinal beams.
 5. The elastic platform according to claim 3, including transverse adjusting sets operable to adjust the distance between the longitudinal beams to adjust tension in the piece of elastic fabric.
 6. The elastic platform according to claim 5, wherein each of the transverse adjusting sets includes: a socket securely located in a related one of the transverse beams; a nut non-rotationally located in a related one of the longitudinal beams; and a threaded bolt abutted against the socket and engaged with the nut.
 7. The elastic platform according to claim 6, including longitudinal adjusting sets for adjusting the distance between the transverse beams.
 8. The elastic platform according to claim 7, wherein each of the longitudinal adjusting sets includes: a threaded lining movably located in a related one of the longitudinal beams and connected to the nut of a related one of the transverse adjusting sets; a cap secured to the related longitudinal beam; and a threaded bolt inserted through the cap and engaged with the threaded lining.
 9. The elastic platform according to claim 8, wherein each of the longitudinal beams includes two slots through which the threaded bolt of a related one of the transverse adjusting sets is inserted.
 10. The elastic platform according to claim 2, wherein the frame includes two longitudinal beams and two transverse beams each including a first bent end connected to one of the longitudinal beams and a second bent end connected to the other longitudinal beams.
 11. The elastic platform according to claim 10, including adjusting sets operable to adjust the distance between the longitudinal beams to adjust tension in the piece of elastic fabric.
 12. The elastic platform according to claim 11, wherein each of the adjusting sets includes: a socket secured to the second bent end of a related one of the transverse beams; a nut located within and secured to one of the longitudinal beams; and a threaded bolt engaged with the nut and abutted against the socket.
 13. The elastic platform according to claim 12, including two covers for protectively covering the adjusting sets.
 14. The elastic platform according to claim 13, wherein each of the covers includes a groove for receiving a related one of the longitudinal and recesses for receiving heads of the threaded bolts.
 15. The elastic platform according to claim 1, including two rods inserted through two loops formed on the piece of fabric. 